What Are The Best Tips For Eye Care?

What Are The Best Tips For Eye Care?

November 29, 2018

The health of our eyes and our vision is something that most of us are guilty of taking for granted. However, since sight is probably the sense that we rely most on, we should ensure that we are doing everything that we can to keep our peepers healthy and functioning well for as long as possible. Our team have extensive experience in helping people from all walks of life take care of and make the most of their sight. Here are our top tips for eye care.

Eat Right!

Many people think that eating right is only beneficial for weight loss/management and our overall health and wellbeing. However, there are plenty of foods that have been shown to have specific benefits for the health of our eyes and our eyesight in general. By making sure that you include a suitable amount of these foods in your diet, you can be sure that you are taking positive steps towards maintaining healthy eyes and the best possible vision. What should you be eating?

Protect your eyes from UV damage

We are quite used to being told about the importance of wearing sun screen to protect our skin from harmful UV rays when spending a great deal outdoors. However, it isn’t just our skin that we need to worry about. Your eyes can be just as affected by UV and over-exposure to these rays can increase the likelihood that you will suffer from ocular conditions including cataracts and macular degeneration, and even cancers that develop around the outside of the eyes. However, by wearing sunglasses that are proven to offer 100% UV protection, you can keep your eyes healthier and safe from damage. Remember that UV rays might be strongest on sunny days, but they are actually present at all times, even when it is cloudy. Therefore, try and wear your sunglasses as much as you can to obtain the very best protection.

Limit screen time

Whether it is our smartphones, our tablets, a laptop or computer or just a plain old tv, we live in a time where we spend longer staring at screens than ever before. In fact, some studies have shown that young adults are estimated to spend as much as a third of their waking hours looking at screens. Unfortunately, screen time has been proven to be bad news for our eyesight, causing problems such as headaches and eye strain. Extended time looking at objects close to our eyes, such as smartphone screens, has also been attributed to the development of a condition called myopia – a refractive eye condition where the patient has good close-up vision but struggles to see things further away with any clarity.

Experts recommend that we try and limit screen time as much as possible – or at the very least take regular breaks so that our eyes can relax and adjust to seeing things further away.

For certain activities, invest in protective eyewear

Our eyes are one of the most fragile parts of our body and if they become injured or damaged in any way, the sense that we rely on most could be adversely affected. For these reasons it is essential that we take steps to protect our eyes if we are participating in an activity, whether for work or pleasure, that could pose a risk to them. Good examples include using chemicals, doing DIY/woodwork, mowing the lawn or trimming back hedges, or even working on your car or bike. You can purchase safety goggles fairly cheaply from a wide range of different suppliers.

Quit smoking

We all know that smoking is bad for our health. However, fewer people realize that this habit can also potentially lead to damage to their eyes and vision. Research has identified that people who smoke are at greater risk of developing ocular problems include cataracts and macular degeneration. You might also cause permanent damage to your optic nerve. If you needed another reason to stub out the cigarettes, your eye health should be it!

If you would like further advice on the best ways to look after your eyes, our friendly and knowledgeable eye health team are ready and happy to help. Please don’t hesitate to contact our clinic at your convenience.